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United States Patent |
6,168,669
|
Yasuda
,   et al.
|
January 2, 2001
|
Substrate holding apparatus and substrate process system
Abstract
Supporting members are provided at three places, for example, on a frame
section of a pair of tweezers. Each supporting member has a tapered face
as an inclined guide for allowing a rim portion of a substrate to slide
down to be guided to a predetermined position. A vertical wall which is
formed continuing from the tapered face and being nearly perpendicular to
a supported face of a wafer is provided at an upper end of the tapered
face. Even when the rim portion of the wafer rises along the tapered face
with the movement of the tweezers, the rim portion stops by hitting
against the vertical wall, thereby preventing the wafer from falling from
the tweezers.
Inventors:
|
Yasuda; Kenji (Kumamoto, JP);
Iida; Naruaki (Kumamoto, JP)
|
Assignee:
|
Tokyo Electron Limited (JP)
|
Appl. No.:
|
250394 |
Filed:
|
February 16, 1999 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Feb 24, 1998[JP] | 10-060478 |
Current U.S. Class: |
118/728; 118/719; 118/729 |
Intern'l Class: |
C23C 016/00 |
Field of Search: |
118/728,719,729,715
396/611
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
5028955 | Jul., 1991 | Hayashida et al. | 355/53.
|
5169453 | Dec., 1992 | Takagi | 118/728.
|
5609688 | Mar., 1997 | Hayashi et al. | 118/715.
|
5626675 | May., 1997 | Sakamoto et al. | 118/663.
|
5826129 | Oct., 1998 | Hasebe et al. | 396/611.
|
Primary Examiner: Bueker; Richard
Assistant Examiner: Hassanzadeh; P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rader, Fishman & Grauer
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for holding a substrate comprising:
a frame section formed surrounding a half or more of a periphery of said
substrate;
an arm section supporting said frame section; and
a plurality of supporting members provided on an inner periphery of said
frame section, each of said supporting members having an inclined guide
which allows a rim portion of said substrate to slide down and be guided
to a predetermined position, a rear face supporting section which supports
a rear face of said substrate slid down along said inclined guide and a
vertical wall formed continuously with said inclined guide and being
nearly perpendicular to a supported face of said substrate at an upper end
of said inclined guide, said supporting members each have a concave
section formed on a side where said substrate is supported and said
inclined guide and said vertical wall are formed on the both sides of the
concave section in said supporting member.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said frame section is formed
into a C-shape.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member is
disposed at least in a vicinity of a position where said frame section is
supported by said arm section.
4. The apparatus as set forth claim 3, wherein said supporting member which
is disposed in the vicinity of the position where said frame section is
supported by said arm section is slidable in a direction to the center of
said substrate supported at the predetermined position and fixable within
a slidable area.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said supporting member which
is disposed in the vicinity of the position where said frame section is
supported by said arm section, in which a long hole is made, is bolted to
said frame section through the long hole.
6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least three of said
supporting members, including a supporting member which is disposed in the
vicinity of the position where said frame section is supported by said arm
section, are provided on the inner periphery of said frame section.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said supporting members
include two support members attached in a vicinity of forward end portions
of said frame section, respectively.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vertical wall has a
height larger than a thickness of said substrate.
9. An apparatus for holding a substrate comprising:
a frame section formed surrounding a half or more of a periphery of said
substrate;
an arm section supporting said frame section; and
a plurality of supporting members provided on the inner periphery of said
frame section, each of said supporting members having an inclined guide
which allows a rim portion of said substrate to slide down to be guided to
a predetermined position, a rear face supporting section which supports a
rear face of said substrate slide down along said inclined guide, and an
inclined wall formed continuously with said inclined guide and being
inclined toward an inclined guide side further from a perpendicular
direction relative to a supported face of said substrate at an upper end
of said inclined guide, said supporting members each have a concave
section formed on a side where said substrate is supported and said
inclined guide and said vertical wall are formed on the both sides of the
concave section in said supporting member.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said inclined wall is
nearly perpendicular to said inclined guide.
11. A process system for processing a substrate comprising:
a plurality of process units performing a predetermined process
respectively to said substrate; and
a transfer apparatus having a pair a tweezers which are moveable forward
and backward to each process unit for giving and receiving said substrate
between said process units; and
wherein said tweezers include:
a frame section formed surrounding a half or more of a periphery of said
substrate;
an arm section supporting said frame section; and
a plurality of supporting members provided on the inner periphery of said
frame section, each of said supporting members having an inclined guide
which allows a rim portion of said substrate to slide down to be guided to
a predetermined position, a rear face supporting section which supports a
rear face of said substrate slide down along said inclined guide and a
vertical wall formed continuously with said inclined guide and being
nearly perpendicular to a supported face of said substrate at an upper end
of said inclined guide, a concave section is formed on a side where said
substrate is supported and said inclined guide and said vertical wall are
formed on the both sides of the concave section in said supporting member.
12. A process system for processing a substrate comprising:
a plurality of process units performing a predetermined process
respectively to said substrate; and
a transfer apparatus having a pair of tweezers which is moveable forward
and backward to each process unit for giving and receiving said substrate
between said process units; and
wherein said tweezers include:
a frame section formed surrounding a half or more of a periphery of said
substrate;
an arm section supporting said frame section; and
a plurality of supporting members provided on the inner periphery of said
frame section having an inclined guide which allows a rim portion of said
substrate to slide down to be guided to a predetermined position, a rear
face supporting section which supports a rear face of said substrate slide
down along said inclined guide, and an inclined wall formed continuously
with said inclined guide and being inclined toward an inclined guide side
further from a perpendicular direction relative to a supported face of
said substrate at an upper end of said inclined guide, a concave section
is formed on a side where said substrate is supported and said inclined
guide and said vertical wall are formed on the both sides of the concave
section in said supporting member.
13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein the supporting member,
which is disposed in a vicinity of a position where said frame section is
supported by said arm section, is slidable in a direction to a center of
said substrate which is supported at the predetermined position, and
fixable within the slidable area.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus, for
example, a pair of tweezers or the like for holding a substrate and a
substrate process system.
In the photoresist process in semiconductor device fabrication, resist
solution is supplied to a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer
(referred to as a wafer hereinafter) or the like to form a resist film.
After the resist film is exposed to a predetermined pattern, developing
solution is supplied to the wafer to develop. A coating and developing
apparatus is conventionally used to perform the sequence of treatments as
above.
The coating and developing apparatus includes process units which
individually perform a sequence of treatments needed for coating and
developing the wafer, for example, hydrophobic process (adhesion process)
for improving fixing of resist, resist coating process for coating resist
solution, heat treatment for curing the resist film by heating the resist
solution coated wafer, heat treatment for heating the exposed wafer at a
predetermined temperature, developing process for performing development
to the exposed wafer, and the like.
A transfer apparatus is used to transfer the wafer between the process
units, and the transfer apparatus is provided with a pair of tweezers to
transfer the wafer between the process units. A pair of tweezers has a
frame section having a configuration surrounding a half or more of a
periphery of the wafer. Three supporting members are provided on the inner
periphery of the frame section. Each supporting member has a rear face
supporting section horizontally supporting the wafer and an inclined guide
with an inclination of, for example, 45 degrees. Each supporting member is
attached by inserting a bolt into a hole for bolt.
Incidentally, there is the possibility that the wafer received by the
tweezers is not horizontally supported to the rear face supporting
section, owing to slippage of the position of the substrate in the process
units or the position where the tweezers stops when the tweezers receives
the wafer. Therefore, the tweezers are conventionally provided with the
inclined guide for allowing the wafer to slide down to the rear face
supporting section. Consequently, even when the tweezers stop getting out
of a predetermined stop position and the wafer W is received at an
irregular position, the wafer W slides down with a rim portion thereof
touching the inclined guide to a regular position and is horizontally
supported by the rear face supporting section.
Friction is occasionally generated between the rim portion of the wafer and
the inclined guide so that the wafer W does not slide down to the
predetermined rear face supporting section. When the tweezers moves in the
state as above, there is the possibility that the wafer W falls from the
tweezers and slips along the inclined guide off the tweezers. Accordingly,
the moving speed of the tweezers is limited for preventing the wafer W
from falling, thereby it is difficult to improve throughput in the prior
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate holding
apparatus and a substrate process system capable of preventing the
substrate from falling at the time of moving, even when the wafer W is
received in an irregular position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a holding apparatus
and a process system for a substrate which does not give a limit to a
moving speed of a pair of tweezers for giving and receiving the substrate
such as a wafer or the like and can improve throughput.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
substrate holding apparatus which comprises a frame section formed
surrounding a half or more of a periphery of the substrate, an arm section
supporting the frame section, and a plurality of supporting members which
are provided on the inner periphery of the frame section, each of the
supporting members having an inclined guide allowing a rim portion of the
substrate to slide down to be guided to a predetermined position, a rear
face supporting section supporting a rear face of the guided substrate,
and a vertical wall formed continuing from the inclined guide and being
nearly perpendicular to the supported face of the substrate at an upper
end of the inclined guide.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a substrate supporting apparatus which comprises a frame section formed
surrounding a half or more of a periphery of the substrate, an arm section
supporting the frame section, and a plurality of supporting members which
are provided on the inner periphery of the frame section, each of the
supporting members having an inclined guide allowing a rim portion of the
substrate to slide down to be guided to a predetermined position, a rear
face supporting section supporting a rear face of the guided substrate,
and an inclined wall formed continuing from the inclined guide and being
further inclined from a perpendicular direction toward the inclined guide
side at an upper end of the inclined guide.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
substrate holding apparatus which comprises a plurality of process units
performing a predetermined process respectively to the substrate and a
transfer unit having a pair of tweezers which are movable forward and
backward to each process unit for receiving and transferring the substrate
between the process units, in which the tweezers include a frame section
formed surrounding a half or more of a periphery of the substrate, an arm
section supporting the frame section, and a plurality of supporting
members provided on the inner periphery of the frame section, each of the
supporting members having an inclined guide to allow a rim portion of the
substrate to slide down to be guided to a predetermined position, a rear
face supporting section for supporting a rear face of the guided
substrate, and a vertical wall formed continuing from the inclined guide
and being nearly perpendicular to a supported face of the substrate at an
upper end of the inclined guide.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a substrate holding apparatus which comprises a plurality of process units
for performing a predetermined process respectively to the substrate, and
a transfer unit having a pair of tweezers which are movable forward and
backward to each process unit for receiving and transferring the substrate
between the process units, in which the tweezers include a frame section
formed surrounding a half or more of a periphery of the substrate, an arm
section supporting the frame section, and a plurality of supporting
members provided on the inner periphery of the frame section having an
inclined guide to allow a rim portion of the substrate to slide down to be
guided to a predetermined position, a rear face supporting section for
supporting a rear face of the guided substrate, and an inclined wall
formed continuing from the inclined guide and being further inclined from
a perpendicular direction toward the inclined guide side at an upper end
of the inclined guide.
In the present invention, even when the substrate holding apparatus is
moved in the state where a rim portion of the substrate is caught at the
inclined guide, the rim portion touches or hits against the vertical wall
provided at an upper end of the inclined guide, therefore the vertical
wall fulfills the function as a stopper. Accordingly, the substrate can be
prevented from falling from the holding apparatus for a substrate.
In the present invention, an inclined wall which is further inclined toward
the inclined guide side than the vertical wall may be formed instead of
the vertical wall.
In this case, the rim portion of the substrate touches or hits the inclined
wall more easily than that in the case where the vertical wall is used.
Accordingly, the function as a stopper of the inclined wall improves
further than that in the case where the vertical wall is used, thereby
further securely preventing the substrate from falling from the substrate
holding apparatus.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the
description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the
description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects
and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of
the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out
hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part
of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the
invention, and together with the general description given above and the
detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to
explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a plane view showing an appearance of a coating and developing
system having a main transfer unit with a pair of tweezers according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the coating and developing system in
FIG. 1 seen from a front side;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing the coating and developing system in
FIG. 1 seen from a back side;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the main transfer
unit;
FIG. 5 is a plane view showing the tweezers according to the embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a supporting member which is provided on
the base of a frame section of the tweezers in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the supporting member which is provided on
a forward end of the frame section of the tweezers in FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the state of a wafer which is supported
on a rear face supporting section of the tweezers in FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the state of a rim portion of the wafer
touching a tapered face of the supporting member in FIG. 7;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the state of the wafer of which the rim
portion hits against a vertical wall of the supporting member in FIG. 7
sliding down along the tapered face;
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing the state of the supporting member
in FIG. 6 sliding to the frame section;
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing the state of the wafer being
positioned at the center of the frame section by slightly adjusting the
supporting member in FIG. 6; and
FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing the state of the supporting member
having an inclined wall engaging the wafer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment according to the present invention will be described
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiment is
realized as a pair of tweezers for transferring a wafer between process
units. FIGS. 1 to 3 show an appearance of a coating and developing system
which is provided with a transfer apparatus having the tweezers according
to the embodiment. FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show aspects seen from a plane, from
a front side, and from a back side respectively.
As shown in FIG. 1, a coating and developing system 1 has a configuration
in which a cassette station 2 for loading and unloading twenty-five wafers
W, for example, in units of a cassette into and from the coating and
developing system 1 with respect to an external apparatus and transferring
the wafers to and from a cassette C, a process station 3 in which various
kinds of single wafer processing type process units are arranged at
multi-stages and each process unit subjects a predetermined process to the
wafers W one by one in a coating and developing process, and an interface
section 4 for sending and receiving the wafer to and from an aligner (not
shown) which is disposed adjacent to the process station 3 are integrally
connected.
In the cassette station 2, four cassettes C, for example, can be mounted
with respective inlets and outlets for the wafers W opening to the process
station 3 side at positions of positioning projections 10a on a cassettes
mounting table 10 as a mounting section in a line along an X-direction (a
vertical direction in FIG. 1). A wafer carriage 15, which can move in the
direction of disposition of the cassettes C (the X-direction) and in the
direction of disposition of the wafers W stored in the cassettes C (a
Z-direction; a vertical direction), is movable along a transfer path 15a
to be selectively accessible to each cassette C.
The wafer carriage 15 is rotatable in a .theta.-direction and accessible to
an alignment unit (ALIM) and an extension unit (EXT) included in
multi-stage units of a third process unit group G3 on the process station
3 side as described later.
In the process station 3, a main transfer unit 20 is placed in a center
portion thereof. Around the main transfer unit 20, one or various kinds of
process units are arranged at multi-stages to compose a process unit
group. In the coating and developing system 1, five process unit groups
G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5 can be arranged. The first and the second process
unit groups G1 and G2 can be arranged on the front side of the coating and
developing system 1, the third process unit group G3 can be disposed
adjacent to the cassette station 2, the fourth process unit group G4 can
be disposed adjacent to the interface section 4, and the fifth process
unit G5 shown with a dashed line can be disposed on the back side.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the first process unit group G1, two spinner-type
process units for mounting the wafer W on a spin chuck in a cup CP and
performing predetermined treatments, for example, a resist coating unit
(COT) and a developing unit (DEV) are arranged at two stages from the
bottom in order. Also in the second process unit group G2 similarly to the
first process unit group G1, two spinner-type process units, for example,
the resist coating unit (COT) and the developing unit (DEV) are arranged
at two stages from the bottom in order.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the third process unit group G3, oven-type process
units in which the wafer W is mounted on a mounting table to perform
predetermined treatments, for example, a cooling process unit (COL) for
performing cooling process, the aligment unit (ALIM) for positioning the
wafer W, the extension unit (EXT) for keeping the wafer on standby, a
prebaking unit (PREBAKE) and a postbaking unit (POBAKE) for performing
heat process, an adhesion unit (AD) for improving fixing of resist and the
wafer W, are vertically arranged at eight stages.
A wafer carriage 21 is disposed in the center portion of the interface
section 4. The wafer carriage 21 is movable in the X-direction and in the
Z-direction (the vertical direction) and rotatable in the
.theta.-direction to be accessible to both the extension unit (EXT)
included in the fourth process unit group G4 on the process station 3 side
and a wafer delivery table (not shown) on the aligner unit (not shown)
side.
The coating and developing system 1 is constructed as described
hereinbefore. Next, the main transfer unit 20 included in the coating and
developing system 1 will be explained. FIG. 4 is a perspective view
showing an appearance of the main transfer unit 20. The main transfer unit
20 is provided with a wafer carriage 30 movable in the vertical direction
(the Z-direction) inside a cylindrical supporter 27 constructed by a pair
of wall sections 25 and 26 which are connected each other at respective
top ends and bottom ends and face each other. The cylindrical supporter 27
is connected to the rotation shaft of a motor 31 and rotates together with
the wafer carriage 30 on the aforesaid rotation shaft by rotation driving
force of the motor 31. Accordingly, the wafer carriage 30 is rotatable in
the .theta.-direction.
Three tweezers, for example, according to the embodiment of the present
invention are provided on a carriage base 40 of the wafer carriage 30.
Each of the tweezers 41, 42, and 43 as apparatus for holding the substrate
has a shape and a size passable through a side opening 44 between the wall
sections 25 and 26 of the cylindrical supporter 27 to be movable forward
and rearward along the X-direction.
The tweezers 41, 42, and 43 basically have the same configuration,
therefore the tweezers 41 positioned at uppermost position thereof will be
explained hereinafter as a representative.
The tweezers 41, as shown in FIG. 5, is constituted by a frame section 41a
formed into a C-shape which is almost 3/4 ring-shaped for supporting a rim
portion of the wafer W and an arm section 41b which is integrally formed
with the center portion of the frame section 41a and supports the frame
section 41a. A stay 41c provided at the arm section 41b slides by a
driving motor (not shown) and a belt (not shown) included in the carriage
base 40 to thereby allow the whole tweezers 41 to move forward and
rearward on the carriage base 40.
Three supporting members 50a, 50b and 50b for directly supporting the wafer
W are provided on the frame section 41a. The supporting member 50a is
attached at the nearest position to the arm section 41b and supporting
members 50b and 50b are attached in the vicinity of the forward end
portions of the frame section 41a respectively.
The supporting member 50a, as shown in FIG. 6, includes a rear face
supporting section 52a on the front thereof for supporting a rear face of
the wafer W, an arc section 53a circularly surrounding the rim portion of
the wafer W, and a tapered face 55a as an inclined guide with an
inclination of, for example, about 45 degrees. A vertical wall 56a which
is formed continuing from an upper end of the tapered face 55a is formed
between an upper face 54a of the supporting member 50a and the upper end
of the tapered face 55a. A long hole 57 is made in the upper face 54a and
the supporting member 50a is bolted to the frame section 41a with a bolt
60 having a size movable along a longitudinal direction inside the long
hole 57.
The supporting member 50b, as shown in FIG. 7, includes a rear face
supporting section 52b on the front thereof for supporting a rear face of
the wafer W similarly to the supporting member 50a, an arc section 53b
circularly surrounding the rim portion of the wafer W, and a tapered face
55b with an inclination of, for example, about 45 degrees. A vertical wall
56b is formed between an upper face 54b of the supporting member 50b and
an upper end of the tapered face 55b. A hole for screw 58 is made in the
upper face 54b and the supporting member 50b is fixed to the frame section
41a by being screwed through the hole for screw 58.
In the respective supporting members 50a and 50b, the arc sections 53a and
53b are formed with, for example, about 2 mm in height and the vertical
walls 56a and 56b are formed with, for example, about 1 mm in height, and
both of the heights exceed about 0.7 mm which is the thickness of the
wafer W.
Arc-shaped concave sections 59a and 59b are formed respectively on the rear
face supporting sections 52a and 52b sides in the supporting members 50a
and 50b. Therefore, portions of the rim portion of the wafer W
corresponding to the concave sections 59a and 59b are free from touching.
The tweezers 41 according to the present embodiment is configured as
described above. Next, functions and effects of the coating and developing
system 1 provided with the main transfer unit 20 having the tweezers 41
will be explained below.
First, in the cassette station 10, the wafer carriage 15 approaches the
cassette C which is mounted on the positioning projection 10a, and
subsequently pulls out a wafer W from the cassette C. Thereafter, the
wafer carriage 15 moves along the transfer path 15a to the alignment unit
(ALIM) which is disposed in the third process unit group G3 and sends the
wafer W into the alignment unit (ALIM).
When an orientation flat alignment and centering of the wafer W are
completed in the alignment unit (ALIM), the wafer carriage 30 which is
provided in the main transfer unit 20 moves to the vicinity of the
alignment unit (ALIM) and the tweezers 41 advances upon operation of a
driving motor (not shown). Subsequently, the tweezers 41 enters from below
the wafer W which is mounted on the alignment unit (ALIM) and subsequently
ascends to receive the wafer W.
In this case, the wafer W is horizontally supported by the supporting
members 50a, 50b, and 50b, as shown in FIG. 8. It sometimes happens that
the wafer W held by the tweezers 41 is not supported on the rear face
supporting sections 52a, 52b, and 52b but positioned in such a manner that
the rim portion thereof touches the tapered face 55b, for example, as
shown in FIG. 9. When the tweezers 41 are moved with the above state, the
rim portion of the wafer W touching the tapered face 55b rises along the
tapered face 55b in a direction shown with an arrow. Consequently, there
is the possibility that the wafer W falls from the tweezers 41.
In the tweezers 41 according to the present embodiment, however, the
vertical wall 56b is formed above the tapered face 55b, thereby avoiding a
fall of the wafer W.
In other words, even when the wafer W rises along the tapered face 55b with
retreat of the tweezers 41, a part of the rim portion of the wafer W
touching the tapered face 55b hits against the vertical wall 56b as shown
with a solid line in FIG. 10. Therefore, the rim portion of the wafer W
touching the rear face supporting section 52a does not move toward the
supporting member 50b side, so that the wafer W can be prevented from
falling from the tweezers 41.
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the height of the vertical wall 56b
exceeds the thickness of the wafer W, so that the rim portion of the wafer
W touching the tapered face 55b hits against the vertical wall 56b to stop
with ease. Therefore, the wafer W can be further securely prevented from
falling from the tweezers 41.
After the rim portion of the wafer W hits against the vertical wall 56b,
the rim portion of the wafer W touching the tapered face 55b slides down
along the tapered face 55b and is supported at the predetermined position
on the rear face supporting section 52b.
In this case, the tapered face 55b is provided with the concave section
59b, therefore a touching area between the rim portion of the wafer W and
the tapered face 55b is smaller than the case in which the concave section
59b is not formed. Accordingly, the wafer W can easily slide down from the
position shown with a solid line in FIG. 10 to the position shown with a
two-dotted chain line in the same drawing.
Additionally, the touching area between the rim portion of the wafer W and
the tapered face 55b is small due to the concave section 59b, so that heat
interference which occurs between the wafer W and the supporting member
50b decreases, and the possibility that the wafer W receives thermal bad
effects from the supporting member 50b side is reduced.
As described above, the rim portion of the wafer W slides down along the
tapered face 55b and the rim portion of the wafer W touching the rear face
supporting section 52a moves from the supporting member 50b side to the
supporting member 50a side on the rear face supporting section 52a,
thereby the wafer W is horizontally supported at the predetermined
position by the rear face supporting sections 52a, 52b, and 52b.
Accordingly, the moving speed of the wafer W can be increased more than
that of the conventional one and throughput can be improved.
The wafer W to be held by the tweezers has been positioned at the center of
the frame section by moving and slightly adjusting all of the three
supporting members provided on the tweezers by an operator in the
conventional process. Therefore, it is troublesome to place the wafer W at
the center of the frame section and the slight adjustment as above is the
burden to the operator.
In this point of view, the wafer W to be held by the tweezers 41 can be
placed at the center of the frame section 41a by moving the rear face
supporting section 52a of the supporting member 50a as shown in FIG. 12,
since only the supporting member 50a is slidable to the frame section 41a,
as shown in FIG. 11, in the tweezers 41 according to the embodiment of the
present invention. In other words, the number of the supporting members to
be slightly adjusted in the tweezers 41 is less than that in the prior
art, thereby facilitating positioning the supporting members.
In the description of the above embodiment, the case in which the rim
portion of the wafer W hits against the vertical wall 56b of the
supporting member 50b is explained. There can be a case that the rim
portion of the wafer W hits against the vertical wall 56a of the other
supporting member 50a. In this case, it is obvious that the similar
operation effects to the above embodiment can be obtained.
In the aforesaid embodiment, the vertical walls 56a and 56b are applied,
but instead of those, inclined walls 56a' and 56b' which are further
inclined toward the wafer W side held by the rear face supporting sections
52a and 52b may be formed respectively as shown in FIG. 13.
By applying the inclined walls 56a' and 56b' the rim portion of the
substrate is further easily engaged than the case of applying the vertical
walls 56a and 56b, thereby improving the function as a stopper for
preventing the wafer W from falling. Accordingly, the wafer W can be
further securely prevented from falling from the tweezers 41.
The tapered face 55a and the inclined wall 56a' and the tapered face 55b
and the inclined wall 56b' can be formed to be perpendicular to each other
respectively, thereby also further improving the function as a stopper
than the aforesaid embodiment.
In addition, the height of each of the vertical walls 56a and 56b is 1 mm.
The present invention, however, is not limited to the above example. The
length of inclination of each tapered face 55a and 55b may be shortened
and each vertical walls 56a and 56b may be formed higher than 1 mm, for
example.
Furthermore, the example is described in which the wafer W is used as a
substrate. The present invention, however, is not limited to the above
example. It is also applicable to an example in which an LCD substrate,
for example, is used.
Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled
in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited
to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described
herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing
from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by
the appended claims and their equivalents.
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